Perhaps because of the Telepathic Connection, Shao Qingge had no doubt about Ye Qi's statement and completely trusted Ye Qi's decision, which relieved Ye Qi. He asked in his mind, " Is Liu Qiao's name still on the contract book?"
Shao Qingge said, "Yes. I just checked, only Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang's names have disappeared."
Ye Qi was silent for a moment before saying, "At first, I thought that Liu Qiao's sudden attack on Professor Xiao and me was a betrayal of us. I was shocked and angry at the time. But after calming down and thinking about it, I realized that Liu Qiao is not that kind of person. It is very likely that the Liu Qiao who attacked us was a fake. The real Liu Qiao is still alive, but he has lost consciousness and therefore cannot accept the team's call to action."
Shao Qingge said, "Could it be that something happened when the sandstorm swept Liu Qiao and Lao Mo away?"
Ye Qi thought for a moment and said, "Probably not? I remember Lao Mo and Liu Qiao have never separated."
Shao Qingge stopped and looked at Ye Qi: "They didn't separate, they didn't separate after they woke up, but don't forget, they were both unconscious for a period of time. Whether Liu Qiao was replaced while Lao Mo was unconscious, he himself doesn't know."
Ye Qi nodded thoughtfully: "That makes sense. We have cards like [ Twin ] and [ Mask ] that can impersonate others, and Hunter definitely has them too. There might be more than one mole in the team, and we need to find out where the real Liu Qiao is as soon as possible."
The two exchanged a glance, and Shao Qingge took out the card holder, drew out two cards, [ Invisibility Cloak ] and [ Supply Card ], and handed them to him: "Keep these two cards for now, just in case."
Ye Qi didn't stand on ceremony and took the card, saying, "I'll follow you stealthily in a bit. You stay hidden in the sand. Let's go check out the wedding venue first. Most of the people in town are attending the wedding; maybe we can find some clues."
After agreeing on the plan, Shao Qingge promptly burrowed into the sand, while Ye Qi followed beside him using an invisibility talisman. The two were connected by a Telepathic Connection, so they weren't worried about getting separated. Ye Qi would give directions at each corner they reached.
Before long, they arrived at the bonfire party.
The wedding was drawing to a close. The bride and groom danced amidst the crowd, and those who got tired went to eat at the surrounding banquet. The tables were laden with fruit, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
The bonfire party at the desert oasis was incredibly lively. Ye Qi glanced around the scene and thought to himself, "There are at least a thousand residents in Oasis Town. It's hard to tell who the original inhabitants are and who the hunters mixed in with them."
Shao Qingge said in Telepathic Connection, "You scout around, I'll go check out the center of their dancing area."
The two separated temporarily; Ye Qi scouted the outer perimeter, while Shao Qingge infiltrated the inner circle.
There were layers upon layers of people dancing around the bonfire, too many to count, and they were all dressed similarly: the women wore long skirts and veils, while the men were shirtless.
People danced to the music and drumbeats, their laughter echoing throughout the air.
Finding clues in such an environment is indeed extremely difficult.
Ye Qi circled around. Most of the people on the outskirts were eating. Ye Qi, who was already very hungry, suppressed the urge to snatch food and calmly scanned their faces to see if there were any deliberate targets.
Suddenly, he spotted someone in the corner who seemed familiar. Ye Qi paused, stopped, and took a closer look—the face was indeed very familiar, so familiar that it made Ye Qi grit his teeth!
The young man looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in strange clothes like the men in the desert oasis. He was bare-armed and sitting next to the banquet table eating. He squinted slightly, his gaze sweeping over the people around him like a venomous snake. He ate grapes, casually spitting the grape skins into the sand, appearing very relaxed and carefree.
Ye Qi felt a chill run down his spine and immediately thought to Shao Qingge, "I saw a familiar face, that senior from the Music Conservatory, Cheng Ziyang!"
Shao Qingge paused, then frowned and asked, "Are you sure it's him?"
Ye Qi nodded vigorously: "I absolutely will not mistake this bastard!"
They've encountered countless random passersby and murderers along the way, and Ye Qi doesn't remember everyone. However, he will never forget Cheng Ziyang.
Because Ye Qi got into the Nightmare Secret Room because of this jerk of a senior!
spade 3 In the Financial Crisis secret room, Ye Qi was assigned to the same group as Cheng Ziyang. At a crucial moment, Cheng Ziyang stole the supplies, causing Ye Qi to end up at the Construction Site. He was eventually shot and killed by the escaped prisoners and eliminated, forced to eat tree leaves for half a month in the Nightmare Secret Room.
They later reunited in the Zerg crypt of Spade 8.
This person did something disgusting again!
I remember back then, Xiao Lou led his teammates and the university student team from Distant Place Association to infiltrate the secret passage. Shao Qingge and Ye Qi were responsible for bringing up the rear, and the university student team leader Cheng Ziyang and Xue Qing were at the very back. Among them, Xue Qing, a girl from the Chemistry Department, had a card [Ethanol] that could produce an unlimited amount of alcohol.
Suddenly, the Zerg swarmed in like a tide, and two more Zerg attacked them from the roof of the warehouse!
In the emergency, Cheng Ziyang, in order to save himself, actually pulled the girl Xue Qing in front of him without hesitation, causing Xue Qing to be infected—this selfish act of "sacrificing a friend to save oneself" stunned Ye Qi!
Because Ye Qi was distracted by the shock and didn't notice the insectoids approaching from behind, Shao Qingge hugged Ye Qi at the critical moment and protected her in his arms, which resulted in him being bitten and infected by the insectoids.
That scene later frequently appeared in Ye Qi's dreams. He could never forget the image of Shao Qingge saving him and Cheng Ziyang shielding his teammates from harm.
The final fate of Xue Qing and Cheng Ziyang left a deep impression on Ye Qi — after Xue Qing learned that she was infected, she said that she did not want to become a puppet of the insects, so she threw the card holder to Ye Qi, stepped on the skateboard, and rushed into the raging fire with a death wish!
Although Shao Qingge was infected at the time, he was still conscious. He had long known that Cheng Ziyang was wicked, and since Cheng Ziyang had harmed Ye Qi in the past, he took the opportunity to use Xiao Lou's Hairdryer to blow Cheng Ziyang into the fire, making him die with Xue Qing.
Cheng Ziyang's piercing screams still seemed to echo in my ears.
Now, seeing that familiar yet hateful face again, Ye Qi couldn't help but clench his fists tightly: "Wasn't he thrown into the fire and burned to death in the Spade 8 Secret Chamber? How did he end up here!"
Shao Qingge was also puzzled: "He should be dead. He was the captain of the university student team. After he died, the contract book changed captains. I remember it was a girl surnamed Gao." At this point, Shao Qingge suddenly paused, "Wait, a normal escape room death, but there's still one chance to go to the Nightmare Secret Room..."
Ye Qi couldn't believe it: "Could it be that he survived in the Nightmare Secret Room?"
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and one of the girls dancing in the crowd had her veil blown off. She bent down to pick it up, and in that instant, Shao Qingge saw her face clearly.
A memorable female college student who faced death without fear.
Shao Qingge thought to himself, "Xiao Ye, I saw someone too."
Ye Qi asked warily, "Who?"
Shao Qingge: " Xue Qing, who rushed into the fire on her skateboard shoes."
Ye Qi: "..."
Spade 8, the Zerg Chamber, saw Challenger suffer heavy casualties. After Xue Qing from the university team died, she gave her card holder to Ye Qi, who then passed it on to her teammates. Later, to thank Xiao Lou for helping her complete the game, her teammates gave him the card for making alcohol.
Now, Xue Qing, who rushed into the fire, and Cheng Ziyang, who was thrown into the fire by Shao Qingge —two people who should have been burned to ashes—have actually appeared together in the Twin Kings secret room. What does this mean?
Was it an illusion? Or did they stubbornly emerge from the Zerg's Nightmare Secret Room?
Or perhaps, they became... Hunters?!
Ye Qi hurriedly said, " CEO Shao, let's look around again and see if we know anyone there? I have a terrible feeling, but we can't be sure yet..."
Shao Qingge said, "Okay, be careful, don't get close to Cheng Ziyang yet."
Ye Qi replied decisively, "Understood. I won't provoke him until things are cleared up."
****
At the same time, Tang Ci calmly put away the contract book, finally understanding what CEO Shao meant.
He didn't rush to tell Lu Jiuchuan the news. After all, Jiuchuan wasn't good at acting, and CEO Shao must have had other plans for leaving the team alone to meet Ye Qi.
What he needs to do now is to keep his teammates calm and wait for news from Shao Qingge.
The grapes in the vineyard were ripe and plump, making them look incredibly tempting. Tang Ci told his teammates to take out their backpacks and pick as many as they could, then led everyone in the opposite direction from the oasis.
The desert was cold at night. After hiking several kilometers away from the oasis, Tang Ci finally had his teammates set up their tents. He said, "These grapes were grown by the residents of the oasis. Some people ate them at the bonfire party, so they shouldn't be poisonous. Let's rest for a bit and eat some grapes to replenish our energy."
Hearing this, everyone was delighted and began to eat grapes from their backpacks.
The grapes grown in the desert are large and sweet; one bite and the sweet juice almost overflows from your mouth. After a whole day of fleeing for their lives, everyone was exhausted and hungry, and these grapes were like a godsend.
The group sat on the ground and silently ate grapes.
Qu Wanyue ate a bunch of grapes and then turned to take care of Long Sen. She bit into a grape, letting the juice drip onto Long Sen's lips. His lips were dry and blue, with several cracks. Perhaps because he was so thirsty, Long Sen actually opened his mouth and licked the grape juice clean from his lips. Qu Wanyue was delighted and leaned closer to ask, " Long Sen, can you hear me?"
Long Sen's eyes were closed, and he did not react.
Tang Ci walked over and had the medical robot examine Long Sen carefully. Long Sen's condition was still very poor, and he was not very conscious. Swallowing grape juice earlier was just a bodily instinct. Tang Ci instructed, " Long Sen won't wake up anytime soon. Take good care of him and try to minimize physical contact. Professor Xiao said that this disease is contagious."
Qu Wanyue nodded: "I know, thank you."
In this situation, Long Sen was already very grateful that no one abandoned her.
Alright.
Tang Ci walked back to Lu Jiuchuan's side, looked at everyone and said, "Go back to your tents and rest. Get plenty of rest. There might be many dangers waiting for us after dawn."
Everyone returned to their tents. Tang Ci and Lu Jiuchuan entered the same two-person tent. Just as Lu Jiuchuan was about to speak, Tang Ci suddenly grabbed his hand and wrote two words in his palm.
A mole.
Lu Jiuchuan paused for a moment, then quickly wrote in his palm: " Liu Qiao?"
Tang Ci frowned: "Perhaps there's more than one. If I'm not mistaken, after nightfall, the mole will inform Hunter of our exact location. There will definitely be a fierce battle tonight, which is why I told everyone to replenish their strength as soon as possible."
Lu Jiuchuan immediately took out the Ice Sword and placed it beside his pillow, his face grim. "We only have eight people left now. Liu Qiao's identity is questionable, and Long Sen and Qu Wanyue are practically useless in combat. We only have five who can fight. If we get another mole..."
Tang Ci said with a serious expression: "Therefore, we must prepare for the worst."
Lu Jiuchuan's gaze grew increasingly somber. Just as he was about to speak, Tang Ci suddenly gripped his hand tightly and pointed outside the tent. Lu Jiuchuan peered through the tent's gaps and, by the moonlight overhead, clearly saw countless dark figures appearing on the sand.
The dark figures appeared silently and instantly surrounded their tents!
Tang Ci wrote in his palm: "It is teleportation."
The two men held their breath simultaneously, and then they heard a deep voice outside: "Action."
Suddenly, flames roared around the tent. In an instant, the flames soared into the sky, forming a natural wall of fire that blocked their path. At the same time, countless hunters wearing silver masks rushed towards the tent like the wind!
Lu Jiuchuan decisively drew his sword, its blade flashing out, instantly freezing those who tried to kill him beside the tent into ice sculptures. At the same time, he shouted into his headset, "Everyone, watch out!"
Lu Jiuchuan charged out of the tent wielding a sharp sword, and Tang Ci hurriedly summoned mechanical spiders to follow him.
A dozen or so mechanical spiders slithered swiftly into the Hunters ' group, their sharp legs flying everywhere like massive mechanical weapons. But today, the Hunters surrounding them were no novices; each of them was highly skilled. The mechanical spiders attacked the group for a long time, but managed not to injure a single person.
Tang Ci's original intention was not to kill people with spiders; he only wanted to buy time for Ninth Brother.
Spiders cannot harm humans, but they can repel some of the Hunters and slow their attacks.
As expected, some Hunters, wary of the mechanical spiders' ferocious attacks, hesitated to advance. The pressure around Lu Jiuchuan eased considerably. At the same time, Chu Huaying swiftly circled behind the Hunters, her dagger striking one in the back with lightning speed!
Hua Ying's flanking maneuver made the Hunter's commander's eyes turn cold. He whispered to the people around him, "You guys, take care of Chu Huaying and Lu Jiuchuan, and deal with the rest of the others!"
At this moment, in a corner of the desert.
Qu Wanyue was extremely anxious. Just now, not wanting Long Sen's illness to infect others, she had taken Long Sen to a slightly farther location, keeping a distance of about 100 meters from her teammates. Because of this, the fire ring Hunter set didn't trap them, and her and Long Sen's current location was still safe.
The moment Hunter appeared, Qu Wanyue immediately covered himself with the Invisibility Cloak and used the last bit of energy left in the Chameleon Card to bury Long Sen in the nearby sand, at least ensuring that Long Sen would blend into the environment and not be discovered.
She wanted to go help, but firstly, Long Sen was unconscious and needed her care, and secondly, she didn't have any attack cards; rushing over would only make things worse. She had no choice but to hold back for now, anxiously watching the circle of fire, looking for an opportunity to help.
Just then, two people suddenly walked over from not far away.
The girl's face was deathly pale in the firelight, but her gaze was calm—it was Liu Qiao.
Walking beside her was a middle-aged man, tall and slender. He wore a silver mask, smiled, patted Liu Qiao on the shoulder, and said, "You did a great job. If this mission is successfully completed, you will be credited with the greatest contribution."
Liu Qiao asked softly, "Do we really have to kill them all?"
Qu Wanyue's heart tightened, and she immediately pricked up her ears to listen carefully.
The man said calmly, "Our master said long ago that as long as we complete the mission of assassinating Challenger in the Twin Kings' secret room, we can gain the chance for immortality in Card World. Don't you want to reunite with your sister?"
Liu Qiao lowered her head: "Can I see her?"
The man said, "Well, Tang Ci and Lu Jiuchuan will definitely suspect you. You've done what you were supposed to do. Leave the rest to us. Go on, I've hidden her in a safe place."
Liu Qiao turned and left, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
Qu Wanyue was shocked. Although she felt that Liu Qiao was acting strangely, she never expected that Liu Qiao had lured these Hunters here! She held her breath, thinking about how to notify her teammates, but the next moment, a beam of white light suddenly flashed in the man's hand.
Under the light, Qu Wanyue's Invisibility Cloak lost its effect.
The man smiled and looked at Qu Wanyue: " Do you think a low-level card like Invisibility Cloak can stay effective forever?"
A black crystal ball appeared in his hand. Qu Wanyue immediately activated the long jump card and tried to turn around and run away. However, she had only run less than ten meters when the black mist caught up with her like a beast and instantly swept over her entire body!
Qu Wanyue's body was actually torn to pieces by the black mist.
man
He stared coldly at the rubble on the ground, his gaze sweeping around. As far as the eye could see, there was only an endless desert. He didn't see Long Sen anywhere. He frowned, turned and walked towards the fire. He whispered in the ear of the person in charge, " I killed Qu Wanyue. I haven't found Long Sen. "
The other party nodded and waved his hand sharply behind him: "Notify the people in Oasis to kill Shao Qingge first!"
******